“We have a facility in China and source there but we’re seeing a trend in which the domestic demand in Asia is so high, they don’t even need us,” says Claude Taillon, Tenaquip’s CEO. “Chinese domestic demand is so great, they don’t need to export. And wages have gone up significantly in China.”

In looking for a solution to this rising challenge, one thing Tenaquip cannot afford to compromise on is quality because it is paramount for the company’s reputation and success as well as to its own brand. “Some may giggle and say ‘Oh it’s made in China. It’s an inferior quality,’ but I can tell you the stuff out of China now is very decent quality. In some cases, it’s even better than what’s produced in North America. So to date, we’ve effectively been able to source from quality manufacturers in China.”

With the shifts taking place in the country, however, Chinese manufacturers are looking at the highest return on new opportunities. And that has the potential to throw a wrench of uncertainty into Tenaquip’s supply flow.

“We order long-term supplies, say six months’ worth of stock of gloves, for example—and trust me, that’s a lot of gloves,” says Mr. Taillon. “Then when we go back, we find that some of the plants we’ve contracted decided they no longer make gloves. That’s happened more often than I’d care to say.”

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The approach: “I wish I could say there’s a simple solution,” says Mr. Taillon. “There isn’t. And about a year from now, it could be different. The speed of change is mindboggling today.”

So Tenaquip has approached this challenge by accepting it as part of the new reality. If the only thing that is certain is rapid and complex change, then Tenaquip is addressing it by being proactive in finding multi-pronged solutions—on an ongoing basis.

Implementation: “We have a department that is focused on this and they are constantly seeking different plants around the world,” says Mr. Taillon. “We have employees who go on site during production runs to make sure the quality is up to our standards because we have a responsibility with the brand. Our belief is if we have good quality, customers will come back and we won’t have a problem with returns. We use video conferencing, run through product reviews and we’re well connected through the technology. It’s a big part of our business now.”

Their analysis is thorough, looking not just at specific plants but also at the specific pertinent details of the country they’re in. Each emerging market has its pros and cons. “The issue with India is infrastructure. They have the talent pool but they don’t have China’s push on infrastructure. When I was in China, they were building highways left and right and high speed trains and networking to get to the ports, but India’s not there yet,” says Mr. Taillon. Central America, on the other hand, has a strong appeal for the apparel sector, he says.

The company has found that part of the solution isn’t always overseas. “There is a large manufacturer based in North America that realized the cost base here is too expensive so they have started importing as well,” says Mr. Taillon. “As a result, they’re opening up their own side to a distributor like us. That’s a one of the ways we’re dealing with the changing world.”

The payoff: Despite the challenges, Tenaquip has been able to maintain its reputation and meet its customers’ needs. “We’re a manufacturer on record. If I’m producing a brand I have to produce that brand with the same quality or better going forward. We chose the route to get the same quality if not better.”

Equally important, the company is facing the uncertainties and rapid changes by always looking ahead — and worldwide — for solutions, aware that there’s no single destination or solution, just a new type of global business journey .